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Saturday, September 3, 2016

Labor Day Weekend!

So, what is Labor Day? I went to the Internet and found the United States Department of Labor website and this is what they said about Labor Day......

Labor Day: What it Means

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

Founder of Labor Day

More than 100 years after the first Labor Day observance, there is still some doubt as to who first proposed the holiday for workers.

Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a co-founder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold."

But Peter McGuire's place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. What is clear is that the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic.

The First Labor Day

The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.

In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a "workingmen's holiday" on that date. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country.

A Nationwide Holiday

The form that the observance and celebration of Labor Day should take was outlined in the first proposal of the holiday — a street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations" of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families. This became the pattern for the celebrations of Labor Day. Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civic significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.

The character of the Labor Day celebration has undergone a change in recent years, especially in large industrial centers where mass displays and huge parades have proved a problem. This change, however, is more a shift in emphasis and medium of expression. Labor Day addresses by leading union officials, industrialists, educators, clerics and government officials are given wide coverage in newspapers, radio, and television.

The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pay tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership — the American worker.

In keeping with our Labor Day theme today....

Since Labor Day was introduced to celebrate the American worker, we are highlighting the hardest working man in show business: James Brown. Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) Before he was able to support himself as a musician, James Brown shined shoes, boxed, picked peanuts and delivered groceries. He admitted he didn't enjoy any of those jobs. What was your least favorite job? I'd have to say working at a call center doing directory assistance. That wasn't fun at all! I liked the hours (graveyard shift) but hated the work. It was so boring!

2) What job have you enjoyed the most? I'd say the job I do now. Transfer Specialist in Advisor Services @ Schwab. I have learned a lot. Met a lot of interesting people. Been able to travel a little bit.....and I get to work for some very well known investment advisors across the country. Not to mention, working for the number one company in the business!

3) James loved performing and in the mid-60s, played 335-350 dates/year. Do you have time off this weekend? Or will you be working? I'm off for the whole three days. I'm hoping to get a lot of things done. Lexi and I have errands to run all weekend and a few things to do around the house. We will be super busy, but it will be nice to have it all done! Yay!4) With that grueling schedule, James spent a lot of time on the road. Do you enjoy traveling and staying in hotels? Or are you a homebody who prefers to sleep in your own bed? I love traveling, but I'm no fan of hotel beds. They are the worst! I don't get much sleep when I am away from home.5) While Millennials are the largest generation in the workforce, millions of Baby Boomers are still part of American labor. Do you think it's easy or hard for people of different generations to work together? Or don't you think age matters? I think every situation is different and that it depends on the people and work involved. I will say that I don't believe there has been a more difficult time for the older and younger generations to work together...just a reflection of the divisiveness of the times.6) 72% of employers report that they give their employees sick days. Tell us about a time when you called in sick, but weren't. Oh, I've had to call out sick a time or two. Especially this past year with Kevin's spinal cord injury. In fact, I was home from work so much I had people surprised to see me back because they just assumed I got fired. Some of them, I just let them think what they wanted. For others I considered friends I actually filled them in on where I had been. I don't always share the things that happen in our lives with everyone. It was interesting seeing certain people back peddle once they made their initial mean comment about me getting fired and then coming around not really saying the words "I'm sorry" but you could tell they knew they put their foot in their mouth. I of course, let them off the hook and let it go. It takes A LOT for me to really stand up and say something back to someone like that. It really does. Just knowing they felt apologetic was enough for me.

7) According to the 2010 Census, 5.9 million Americans regularly work from home. Is working from home something you have/you would enjoy? Or do you benefit from interaction with coworkers? I think I would like it and I know I could stay on task, I just don't think my family would work well in that situation. The dogs barking in the background when I'm speaking to someone would be a bad thing and I can't exactly put them outside all day in the Arizona heat. I also think right now, getting out of the house is therapeutic for me. 8) 12% of workers report they prefer to report for work early -- before 7:00 AM -- so they can get more done. Are you a morning person? Left to my own devices I am a night person, but I can be a morning person if that's what my schedule requires. Give me a few minutes to loosen up the muscles and I'm good to go. In fact, my day starts well before 7:00 AM now! I love it! I'm home before most kids get out of school and it's been great!

9) The NFL season starts on September 8. How do you think your team will do this year? I have to admit, I am not much of a football fan, but my husband and son are. I just let them enjoy what bit of football they can. Kevin use to say I NEVER let him watch football. But that really isn't so. He still sneaked it in every chance he got. I just didn't like how it took over the television for an entire day. You know, the pre-game and post game shows all had to be watched as well as the game and the rest of us never got to watch anything. Needless to say, I was thrilled when we got a second television.

And since I was super quick with my last post on Thursday and did not include the things I am grateful for, here goes.....

For a mostly uneventful week. The mix of responsibilities and the way we do things at work have been shaken up just enough to change the dynamics during each day and I like it!!

That our oldest daughter seems to have found a job that pays her what she is worth and that she seems to really like. I hated her working for so little and working so darn hard for people who didn't value her and her degree.

The season of all things Pumpkin Spice is upon us! Yes, I am one of those people!

That is seems like we have finally made some head way on the social security for my husband.....no news is good news. We are hoping this means they are just working on getting those payments set up and to us this month. Of course, we will know more at the end of the month. That's when we will know more about what to expect. They move at a snails pace.

For this 3 day weekend!

That Lexi has gone a few days without another migraine! That is a HUGE blessing!

For this cool app I found for my phone, actually two apps. One that keeps track of the steps I take in a day. Remember me mentioning the health screening they did on me at work? Well, I got my results. All of my cholesterol and triglyceride's are very low. The only thing they could ding me for, of course, was my BMI and weight. BUT, through this whole process I've had to fill in some information and visit their website to do it. Well, I just found their app for my phone and I started to use their tracker. You set some goals, and of course, mine is to lose a little weight. So, I filled in all that information. The app has mapped out a plan for me to keep track of my calories, the steps I take in a day, the cardio I do, the water I drink, and will then report all of it so I can continue to be on the road to get my extra money dumped into my HSA next year. YAY! I love that! Of course, the money doesn't go directly into my pocket, but it will go to health care expenses. That works for me! AND, I will get healthier too. That is a blessing!!!

For all of you, of course!!

Take care my friends and we will talk again soon. Enjoy your weekend!!